


Darkest Before Dawn

by storyspinner70



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst and Humor, Elven Jensen, Human Jared Padalecki, Hurt Jensen Ackles, M/M, Magic-Users, Mutual Pining, Necromancy, Pre-Slash, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-25 16:38:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16664374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storyspinner70/pseuds/storyspinner70
Summary: Jensen and Jared have been at odds for nearly a year now - the result of reality and dreams clashing violently. Jared wanted more than the normal life of the second Prince. Jensen wanted nothing more than to keep Jared with him forever. They're brought back together when Jensen's mother, long presumed dead, returns to his kingdom and calls him home. Can he leave Jared behind? And what happens when he finds out that, like usual, nothing is as it seems?Written for the 2018 J2 Reversebang.





	Darkest Before Dawn

**Title:** Darkest Before Dawn

**Artist:[Bluefire986](https://bluefire986.livejournal.com)**

**Author:** storyspinner70

 **Rating:** Mature

 **Warnings/Spoilers:** Some violence (not terribly explicit), use of magic and necromancy, pre-slash, hurt Jensen, little bit of hurt Jared.

 **Summary:**  Jensen and Jared have been at odds for nearly a year now - the result of reality and dreams clashing violently. Jared wanted more than the normal life of the second Prince. Jensen wanted nothing more than to keep Jared with him forever. They're brought back together when Jensen's mother, long presumed dead, returns to his kingdom and calls him home. Can he leave Jared behind? And what happens when he finds out that, like usual, nothing is as it seems?   

 

**Art:** |[Live Journal](https://bluefire986.livejournal.com/18996.html) |  

A/N: I want to thank my amazing artist. Always awesome art to start from! Click on their name to go to their journal or the link above to go directly to the piece for my story! As always, thanks to my comma wrangler...I mean my editor! 

Rufus is indeed _that_ Rufus, and I imagine Missouri as the cook. Who wields a meaner wooden spoon? Dormam is short for Dormammu, the Marvel sorcerer. What better name, right? Magic is completely made up in my head, so might be highly unlikely. lol  You've been warned. Off to the show!!!

**Darkest Before Dawn**

“An elf, though?” Jared whined.

“Your Highness?”

“Elves are just so...”

“I can hear you, you know, Prince.” Jensen snarled.

“Well with ears that pointy...”

Jensen raised his bow, arrow seated and nocked in an instant. “What was that you were saying?”

“Nothing Jensen,” Jared commented, voice sickly sweet and dangerously close to a coo.

Their instructor threw his hands up and stomped off.

“He takes things so personally,” Jensen said, watching him gesture wildly as he left the training grounds.

“He’s probably off to quit again,” Jared agreed.

“How many times is this now?”

“Five I think,” Jared answered.

“The King’s gonna be pissed again.”

“Yep,” Jared stated. “I’m hungry. Let’s see what sweets Cook has lying about.”

“Alright but if she hits me with that wooden spoon again I’m coming after you.”

**

“Ah, Jared. My darling middle son.” The Queen smiled at Jensen as well, “and his partner in crime.”

“Did Father send you?” Jared asked, bending to kiss his mother’s cheek.

“You’re lucky he did,” she said rather firmly. “If Rufus threatens to quit again, he’s going to let him. That means no more training, no learning to handle weapons and no hope for your future other than politics or something in a royal office somewhere. Is that what you’re interested in?”

Jared and Jensen drew back in horror.

“An office?” Jared intoned, as if that were a fate worse than death.

“Stop your nonsense.” The Queen turned to look at Jensen. “Both of you.”

The boys mumbled in agreement, chastised for the moment.

“You may go, Jared. I need to have a word with Jensen.”

“My Queen?”

“Mother?” The boys asked.

“He’ll be along shortly. You can both apologize to Rufus afterwards. Again.”

Jared was clearly reluctant, but shuffled out the door.

“How are you, Jensen?”

“I’m well, Your Highness. And how are you?”

“I’m a bit perturbed, if I’m honest.” The Queen said. “Tell me, Jensen, do you like it here?”

“I… Of course, Your Highness.”

“I thought it was a rather good idea when our kingdoms thought of this exchange. I thought it would be good for Jared. He’d have someone near his own age who could teach him something of the world. Lord knows we can’t let him out and about like we’d love to. Not with all the threat.”

Jensen suddenly had a very bad feeling about the direction this conversation was heading.

“What I didn't expect,” The Queen continued, “was Jared learning more about how to shirk responsibility than how to handle it more gracefully.”

“Y-Your Grace?”

“I've always admired the Elves and how you handle everything with such grace and aplomb. Of course I hoped some of that would rub off on my son. He’s a great lumbering brute that one,” The Queen smiled lovingly before she rose to pour herself a glass of water, asking Jensen if he wanted one with a fluid movement of her hand.

“No thank you, Your Highness.”

“It’s come to my attention that Jared plans to not only never marry but to spend his life adventuring and fighting for a living.”

Jensen stiffened.

“I foolishly assumed you would be more reasonable about the requirements of being one of the Royal family, and that you would at least try to lead Jared back into reality.” The Queen stared at Jensen for a moment. “But you didn't do that, did you? You went right along with his flights of fancy. Even encouraged him, I wager.”

“It wasn't like that, Your Highness!”

“Hope can be as deadly to someone as it can be precious, Jensen. You of all people should know that. How long did you wait and hope for your mother to return?”

Jensen flinched back as if the Queen had struck him.

“I’m not trying to be mean, Jensen. I promise you I’m not. But you are a Prince the same as Jared is and you know there is no hope that he will be able to live the life he wants so badly to live. Letting him dream and plan and hope will only make it harder next year when he must settle down and begin to find a wife.”

“I just figured there was plenty of time for him to realize...” Jensen trailed off.

“My son is as fierce as a lion and as fragile as glass. Do the right thing, Jensen. Or I’ll find someone who will.”

“What harm is there in dreaming, though?” Jensen argued.

“Ask that same question to a man in the dungeon, Jensen, who is dreaming of the sky.”

Jensen dropped his head in acknowledgment. “I’ll do the right thing.”

“I do hope he never loses you, Jensen. Truly.”

But Jensen had had enough talking about hope, thank you very much, so he merely bowed and left.

“There you are!” Jared called, his mouth half full of what looked like partially chewed tarts. “What did Mother want?”

“Oh, just to talk about how I was doing here. If I was homesick and the like,” Jensen lied smoothly.

Jared swallowed quickly. “You’re not are you?” He asked worriedly. “You like it here, right?”

Jensen thought about everything the Queen had said. “I don’t know, Jared. Sometimes I love it here,” he stated honestly, “and sometimes I can’t wait to get back home.”

Jared pulled back, his eyes wide. “But… I thought we had plans, Jensen. Remember? The rest of our lives together.”

“We both know those were just dreams, Jared. You know it and I know it.”

“No!” Jared whispered harshly. “Those were plans, not dreams! We are going to spend our life adventuring and traveling!”

“Grow up, Jared. Princes don’t get to do whatever they want. It was cute for awhile, but it’s time you got over it.”

“I thought you got it,” Jared said, anger gone and replaced with a blank sort of silence. “I thought that you, of all people...” He didn't finish; just turned and walked away.

**

It had been a long year. Jensen wanted nothing more than to flee the Padalecki Kingdom and forget that he’d ever met any of them. He and Jared had stopped training together. They’d had to. Their battles had become very very real.

Jared felt betrayed, and Jensen understood. Hell, Jensen felt the same. He blamed the Queen and every single Royal before, since and in the future for everything he and Jared had been through.

Jared had, well _dimmed_. He’d always been incandescent – as bright in joy as he was in anger as he was in calm meditation. Over the past year he’d grown listless and blank as his parents spoke more often about his obligation to marry and his expected role as second born Prince.

Jensen no longer spoke much with the King and Queen. There was no real need now that he was no longer their son’s favorite chosen companion. They kept track of his progress, of course, and of his plans for after the formal exchange period set out by their kingdoms. At one point, he’d written his father about extending the exchange indefinitely, but that was no longer an option.

Six months. Six months and he would leave here, his heart heavy for the loss of the best friend he’d ever had. The loss of hope for the life he’d wanted just as badly as Jared – more so maybe. Jensen was four years older than Jared, and at 22 he was obligated to start searching for a spouse as soon as he’d settled back into his own kingdom.

Being at the Padalecki kingdom in the first place was the only thing that kept him from the search so far. Not that stopped his father from asking if he’d met anyone every time he sent a missive. Jensen merely replied not yet, instead of the truth that he’d never even looked.

Well, that wasn't really the truth. He had looked. It just happened to be only Jared he looked at.

Six months. He could do this.

**

Jensen got up and dressed and headed out for his normal solitary breakfast before he began training. Jensen had long ago mastered the bow. Elves of his station were practically trained from birth. He was almost as equally proficient with swords and hand to hand but needed more work with staves and knives.

He was going over staff combat moves he was currently learning and didn't notice at first how busy the palace seemed. Once he noticed, he moved quickly to find a guard. “What’s all the ruckus? It’s never this busy this early in the morning.”

The guard hesitated and when Jensen was wont to press him for answers, someone grabbed his arm and whirled him around.

“Jensen,” Jared spoke quickly and urgently, “come with me, we have much to discuss.”

The bad feeling in Jensen’s gut solidified into a solid mass. Jared hadn't willingly spoken to him in months, and he’d never heard Jared sound so in control and mature.

Jared shoved him into one of the ante-chambers off the throne room. “I know things between us have been strained, but I didn't want you to hear this from anyone but me.”

“Jared? What is it?”

“We've had word...” Jared paused searching for words. “We've had word that your mother has returned.”

“What? My mother is dead.”

“There was never any proof of that,” Jared said gently, “and at first we were pleased to have such good news to share, but...”

“Jared, just... please. Out with it.”

“That messenger was quickly followed by another. It seems your mother is blaming the Padaleckis for her capture and disappearance.”

“What?”

“Your father began gathering his troops on her word alone. He expects your immediate return, and if he doesn't meet you on the road between our kingdoms...”

“I have been here for years now. We have been all over this kingdom. Is he mad? How does he think we missed her all this time?”

“Apparently she said you knew she was there. You were… bewitched, just like she was.”

“My mother is dead. Even as a child I could feel it in my gut the moment she took her last breath. I was inconsolable before anyone even knew for a fact she was missing.”

“Then why would someone pretend to be her? Why would someone want war between our kingdoms?”

Jensen paced. “Orcs are always after war. The realms are too peaceful. They’d do anything to change that.”

“That isn't an orc’s way.”

“No. They are more blunt instrument than this type of finesse. It must be someone with magic.” Something niggled at the back of Jensen’s mind. “The Dark Elves.”

“Jensen...”

Jensen strode forward, grasping tightly to Jared’s arms. “Don’t you see? It has to be them. No one but Elves have that much control over magic. The Dark Elves have been after us since they were corrupted. There is no one else it could be.”

“Jensen,” Jared started. “There is so much that we don’t yet know. Your mother...”

“Is dead,” Jensen stated. “Whatever it is that is in our palace is nothing more than a lying, vile copy of her precious image,” Jensen was screaming into Jared’s face at this point, “and I won’t allow it!”

“Jensen,” Jared whispered.

Jensen grabbed Jared’s face. “I’m sorry, Jared. This past year...” Jensen trailed off, and he pressed his face to Jared’s collarbone. “I had to, Jared. But I’m so sorry.”

Jared stiffened. “What? What do you mean you had to? Why...” He stopped himself. “No. There will be time for this later.” He rested his cheek against the top of Jensen’s head. “How do we fix this, Jensen?”

“I’m going home.”

**

Jared stood, his jaw clenched and his eyes wild. His battle armor was resplendent and his face harder than Jensen had ever seen it.

“You know I’m coming.”

“They would kill you on sight, Jared. No.”

“I’m going.”

“This is for your own good. Listen to me for once.”

“Apparently, you've done a lot for my own good, haven’t you?”

“What?” Jensen was surprised.

“I spoke to my mother about our differences the last year or so. She was apparently overwrought by our sudden division but didn't know what to do about it since it was, ultimately, for me and for the good of the kingdom.”

“I...” Jensen had never expected the Queen to tell Jared what had happened all those months ago.

“Let’s go, Jensen. The sooner we start out, the less chance of my father or his guard stopping us.”

Jensen stopped packing the small bag he was filling with supplies. “Jared, please. If anything happened to you...”

Jared snorted. “Who is it that can’t keep hold of his knives? I’ll give you a hint; it’s not me.”

Jensen narrowed his eyes at Jared. “Fine, but if you die I will find a necromancer and bring you back just so I can kill you again myself.”

The boys laughed until what Jensen said really struck them.

“Oh no, Jensen, you don’t think...”

“Dammit. I have to see this thing that calls herself my mother. I need to see if it’s her flesh or just magic.”

“Jensen,” Jared started, his tone too soft for Jensen’s comfort.

“Let’s go, Jared. It’ll be dark in a few hours and we have to be away from here.”

**

They made it out of the palace and into the surrounding woods without being found. It was harder than when they used to sneak out to play in the trees and hunt rabbits they pretended were rampaging dragons or giant spiders. The kingdom was on high alert since the moment the news of the threat of war had been delivered.

The forests at night were deadly places, full of animals, some wild and some not, who were always looking for a meal or to make a name for themselves. The snow that blanketed the ground both lit the way more clearly with reflected moonlight and made their trail even more obvious as it became packed and shifted less with the frigid, biting breeze. Jared and Jensen had battled no less than three giant spiders and a mercenary and had only been on the road for ten hours.

The Ackles kingdom was three days journey in this type of weather, a bit less when traveling through the forest, but Jensen was expecting to meet his father some time the next day. The last covert word they had received was a short “They’re marching in the morning” the night before they left.

They were tired and it looked less and less likely they would find anywhere safe to bed down anywhere on the way. Jared offered to take first watch, but Jensen couldn't rest for fear something would happen while he was asleep. In the end, they huddled together under their furs and dozed as they could.

Jensen woke to screaming. He immediately jumped to his feet, bow drawn even in his confusion.

Jared was on a hill just ahead, his sword flashing in the sun as he battled two orcs that were far out of their realm and clearly looking for trouble. Jensen snarled and took careful aim, sending an arrow through one of the orc’s rheumy, hateful eyes. The other whirled as his partner fell.

“Elf,” it hissed. “Going home to see Mommy?”

Jensen drew back his bowstring, but Jared stopped him with a raised hand.

“What do you know about it, goblin?”

“Just that Mommy’s come home and now war is afoot. She wants revenge and Daddy is just the one to give it to her.”

“That is not my mother!”

“Isn't it?” The orc laughed. “It sure looked like her to me.”

Jensen was vibrating with the need to kill the creature in front of him. They’d clearly not been fighting for long, there were only a few thing sword cuts on either goblin and Jared had a red patch high on his cheekbone where something had connected with his face. Jared searched the orc’s malicious eyes for a moment then dropped his hand.

The orc hit the ground, mouth still wide on a frozen grin.

“Let’s go. I need to see this creature.”

**

“Stay in the forest, Jared. Stay hidden.”

“Jensen...”

“No! I mean it! I will not have you hurt.” Jensen could tell Jared was eager to reply but physically held his tongue.

“Alright, Jensen. But I will follow you in the forest and if I don’t see you in two days I will come after you. And I won’t be alone. Do you understand?”

Jensen rolled his eyes. In the distance, they could hear the stomp of marching feet, dampened by the layers of snow. “Go, Jared. They’ll be watching the surrounding forest, so go deep until we start back to the palace.”

Jared paused for a moment, as if trying to decide whether to follow Jensen’s directions or not. After a few seconds, he grasped Jensen’s face in his hands. “Don’t die.”

Jensen wrapped his hand in Jensen’s hair and moved closer to kiss Jared’s forehead then cheek. “I've already told you what I’ll do if you do. I expect nothing less from you.”

“Necromancer it is,” Jared whispered, staring at Jensen’s mouth.

“There will be time for us, Jared,” Jensen whispered back. “There will be nothing but time for us.”

Jared pressed close then disappeared into the forest. Jensen got no more than a fading glimpse of him as he traveled the road. Good. At least Jared was listening.

It didn't stop Jensen from looking.

**

“Son! I’m so glad to see you alive and unharmed! I cannot believe I left you with those criminals for so long! I should have been suspicious when they brought it up, but I could never imagine they’d ever betray me like they did.”

Jensen and Jared had decided it was best if Jensen play along and see if he could divert his father from marching on the Padalecki kingdom. Jensen would talk him into returning to the palace, so he and Jensen could revel in Jensen’s mother’s return. Once there, Jensen would do his best to find out the truth of the woman’s return.

As usually happens, things went exceedingly to plan. Until they didn't.

Jensen’s father seemed torn between taking Jensen to see his mother and continuing their march. Soon enough, though, he left his men camped in the forest near the road and he and Jensen and a small group headed back to the Ackles palace. Jensen watched him as they traveled.

He couldn't tell if his father was under some kind of magic or if he was just desperate to believe the person currently sitting perilously close to the throne of the Ackles kingdom. Soon enough, they were entering the palace gates. Jensen was terrified he wouldn't be able to hold his temper once he saw the impostor.

“Oh, my son! I thought for sure they had bewitched you so that your father would have to fight for your return!” The person calling herself Jensen’s mother threw herself at him, hugging him and cupping his face, babbling about how he’d grown and how different he was from the last time she’d seen him. It was all Jensen could do to keep from pushing her away.

He had just had supper with his father and his “mother” and was trying to plan a way to get to Jared to share with him all he’d learned. One of the first things that Jensen noticed was the man that never left his fake mother’s side. The man that supposedly saved her from the evil clutches of the Padaleckis.

He rarely touched her, of course, as was befitting a Queen, but he also rarely took his attention from her. Jensen studied him discreetly and could see faint shimmers in the air from time to time – something only a person watching carefully would notice – telltale signs of faint magic disturbing the atmosphere as it was cast.

Jensen had gotten very good with magic during his time with the Padaleckis. They had some of the best sorcerers in all the known realms – mostly because they were human and so few had innate magic of their own. The sorcerers had been thrilled to have a native-born magic user to train for a change, and Jensen had reveled in all they taught him.

This was no ordinary elven magic. Jensen had to get to Jared and convince him somehow to go back to his palace and bring back their sorcerers. Perhaps they would know more. He was just about to make his excuses and see about escaping the palace when there was a commotion outside the doors of the private dining room he and his family always used.

“What is the meaning of all this noise?” The King called out, motioning one of his guards to open the doors.

Jensen stood bolt upright at the sight that awaited them. “No!”

Jared was on the ground at the soldier’s feet. He had clearly been beaten and his head was lolling toward his chest.

“Get away from him!” Jensen snarled, stalking toward the guards blocking the doorway.

“So you _are_ still bewitched, I see.” A teary, horrified voice behind him had him whirling to look at the woman pretending to be his mother.

“Oh my King, he is not well. I told you he was under their spell.” She turned to Jensen again. Regret filled her face but her eyes were cold and dead. “I knew it was too easy when he showed up here. Remember? I told you.”

Jensen’s father looked between his wife and his son, clearly torn.

“She is not my mother!” Jensen exclaimed. “She was not captured and held by the Padaleckis no matter how badly you want it to be so. You, _Father_ ,” Jensen emphasized, “have been taken for a fool!”

Everyone gasped. No one was allowed to talk like that to the King. Not even his son.

The impostor moved closer to his father, grasping his arm and looking so sad. “I never thought I’d see the day my own son would talk about me that way,” she wailed. “That Padalecki scum is clearly keeping him under their spell.” She hissed, pointing at Jared.

“You must let Dormam cleanse him of their filthy magic. It is the only way!”

Jensen glanced at Jared and saw that while he was still on the ground, his eyes were bright and attentive to everything going on around him. “It’s him,” Jensen mouthed. Jared bobbed his head slightly in acknowledgment.

When Jensen turned back, his father was studying him carefully, his eyes moving between him and the beaten man on the floor.

“You must kill him,” the impostor said. “He will never be free of him otherwise. He will never come back to us. Give him to Dormam and then kill the Padalecki boy!”

Jensen heard a scuffle on the floor and whirled around just in time to see Jared hurtle a set of knives through the air. The guards had disarmed him of course, but he’d always made a game of seeing how many places he could hide weapons no one could find. It led to some mishaps and indignant laundresses, but it had proven on many occasions to be a very valuable skill.

The first knife was headed directly for Dormam and the other at Jensen.

“See,” she screeched. “He is trying to kill us!”

Jensen knew Jared’s only intention with the knife heading toward him was to give him a weapon, and he prepared himself to snatch it out of the air as it came close. He saw Dormam nonchalantly swat the knife headed toward him out of the air with magic but couldn't help but curse when he missed the knife Jared sent his way and it buried itself into his shoulder.

“Was there really no other way?” Jensen hissed at Jared as he tugged at the blade in his flesh. Jared just rolled his eyes and muttered something about how poorly Jensen handled knives.

Jensen snarled but whirled on the sorcerer as soon as he’d pulled the knife free.

“You!” He pointed at Dormam. “Is this an impostor, then?” He pointed his knife at his “mother”. “Or are you indeed Necromancer?”

“I have no idea what you mean, Highness. This is your mother. I came upon her quite by accident when I got lost in the Padalecki castle. I could sense a great cloud of magic around her. I merely freed her.”

“Then I suppose my magic will have no effect on her then.”

His father swung around quickly. “Your magic?”

“I learned quite a lot while I was away, Father. The sorcerers were thrilled to have someone besides Jared with all his constant bumbling to teach their arts to.”

“Hey!” Jared yelled at Jensen but got nothing but a staff in the gut for his trouble.

Jensen sneered, but kept his composure. “One of the first things I learned was how to strip the magic from a room. Protection, you know.”

Dormam looked faintly amused and entirely too smug.

Jensen began to cast his magic. The spell was indeed a simple one, and it wouldn't work on true dark magic, but there was a distinct chance it could loosen Dormam’s hold on whatever, or whomever, it was the impostor was made of.

“Watch _Mother_ carefully, Father.” Jensen spat. “Don’t take your eyes off her.”

His father frowned but did as he was told.

It took a few minutes to cast the spell, and Dormam had started to smile more and more broadly as the seconds ticked past.

“What’s wrong little sorcerer? Can’t find any magic?”

Jensen just smiled. “Watch, Father.”

The woman in front of them started to flicker. There was no real other word for it. Jensen wasn't the most powerful sorcerer in the kingdom or even in this room, but he had a natural strength and affinity for magic that the sorcerers trained and expanded and grew.

He couldn't clear Dormam’s magic entirely, but he could weaken it just enough.

His father gasped sharply and shoved the thing pretending to be his mother away. Dormam raised his hands but Jensen’s father, who _was_ one of the most powerful magic users in the realm temporarily dampened Dormam’s magic. He called for the confused guards to bring him their strongest sorcerers.

Dormam struggled and freed himself from Jensen’s father’s magic entirely too easily. The impostor was screaming and the room was filled with people trying desperately to figure out what was happening. Out of the corner of his eye, Jensen saw Jared creeping along the floor, working his way behind where Dormam was standing.

Jensen started toward him, knife raised to make sure that Dormam didn't take notice of Jared. The dark sorcerer laughed at Jensen as he struck out with his magic. Jensen screamed as Dormam’s magic seized his body, crackling across his skin, twisting through his veins.

There was a haze over his eyes, but Jensen could see Jared rising behind Dormam, hate and fear like Jensen had never seen written across his face. It was mere moments until the point of a wickedly sharp blade tore through skin and muscle and fabric.

Jensen sank to the ground like a rag doll when Dormam’s magic stuttered and failed as he died. From where he was laying, he could see the corpse that had collapsed as Dormam’s magic stopped. He wondered if it was truly his mother after all.

Everything went dark.

**

“Why isn't he awake? The healers said he should be awake by now!” A familiar voice was talking way too loudly but clearly thought he was whispering. “I swear to all the gods that if he...”

“I understand, Prince. But dark magic can be hard to break, even after the sorcerer’s death. The healers can only say when they _think_ he’ll return to us.”

“Well, they better figure it out. I’ll have every one of them...” Jensen could imagine Jared swinging his ridiculously long arms about during his dramatics as he tried to think of a proper threat.

“Do stop flailing around like that, Jared. You look ridiculous.”

Jared whirled around at Jensen’s half gone, scratchy voice. “Shut up, Ackles,” he said after a long moment.

“I feel like my skin was peeled off and replaced with someone else’s.”

“Well, that’s what happens when you’re stupid enough to try to distract a sorcerer of dark magic with nothing more than a dagger and a big mouth.”

Jensen narrowed his eyes. “Let’s talk about that dagger.”

“Let’s not,” Jared said, rushing to Jensen and smoothing his cover and gently turning the pillow under his head. “You need to recover yet.”

Jensen sank into the now cool pillow as the healers bustled about him again. Waves of healing magic flowed over him and, for a moment, all was well. They seemed pleased with his progress and posited that Jensen would be healed enough to resume normal duties in around a week.

Soon enough, he and Jared were alone.

“They think it was your mother’s body,” Jared stated baldly. “There was a break in the bone of the ankle that matched a fall she took when she was young and some of the rags...” Jared swallowed. “Some of the fabric looked like the gown she was wearing the last time anyone saw her.”

Jensen turned his head away for a moment, horrified that the sorcerer had used his mother’s dead and rotted corpse for such evil means.

“She’s to have a royal burial as soon as you’re well enough.”

“That’s good,” Jensen was glad the thickness of his voice was the only sign of how angry he was.

“We got him, Jensen. He’s gone.”

Jensen turned to Jared and forced himself to smile a little bit. He patted his bed and beckoned Jared over.

“So,” he started, “about what happened on the road.”

“Oh,” Jared said, a light flush on his cheeks. “I don’t want to find a wife, Jensen,” he said in a near whisper.

“No?” Jensen questioned.

“No.” Jared seemed to gather up his courage. “I want a husband, Jensen. And I want it to be you.”

“An elf, royalty of the great Padalecki kingdom? Who could imagine such a thing?”

“The same people that would allow a human into the grand Ackles bloodline?”

“I’ll have to court you properly, of course,” Jensen mused. “Send you bouquets and trinkets and exceedingly flowery love letters. We’ll need a chaperon from now on, as well. Make sure you keep your wandering hands to yourself.”

Jared had indeed been running his fingers over the inside of Jensen’s arm until Jensen slapped his hand away with the other.

“I am a proper gentleman, and you will be a proper lady so that I may woo you.”

Jared sputtered and flailed while Jensen laughed.

“There is one little thing I must attend to before I can begin to pay you suit.”

Jared looked suspicious for a moment. “And what is that?”

Jensen beckoned him closer still reaching easily to pull Jared’s face close to his when he was near enough. He kissed Jared’s forehead, each cheek and his nose. Whispering his thanks for saving him and his kingdom.

He hovered over Jared’s lips for a moment, lips open, breath mingling in the air between them, hot and humid in the chilly winter air of the chamber. Jared began to breathe heavier as Jensen whispered into the minuscule space between them. Jensen moved a hair closer, opening his mouth again.

“But don’t think I've forgotten that you stabbed me, you son of an orc,” he said, his voice perfectly normal and even downright chilly as he heaved and, with a great shove, pushed Jared off the high bed and onto the cold stone floor.

Jared’s pinwheeling arms and shocked face was all Jensen needed in that moment. His shoulder was throbbing and back to seeping blood, but it was totally worth it.

He closed his eyes and, to the sound of Jared cursing Jensen with every insult they had ever learned, he drifted off to sleep.


End file.
